Raging Fire
by GateKeeperSyn
Summary: Lily is a natural talent who never knew wrestling was in her blood until a deathbed confession from her mother reveals the truth about her father. After being attacked on her 21st birthday, Lily finds herself growing close to Dean Ambrose. Meanwhile, Cody feels something is coming... Little does he know it's a half-sister he and Dustin never knew. How will the family cope?
1. Chapter 1

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _Warning: This chapter contains some potentially triggering content. (Including a mildly graphic rape.) I don't usually start fics like this, so I wanted to put a warning just in case._

 **CHAPTER ONE**

 _ **LILY**_

It was supposed to be the best night of my life. Instead, it was the worst.

For my twenty-first birthday, I decided to party with the main roster. I was well-liked at NXT and Triple H was looking to bring me up anyway. He flew me to the town they were in and let me hang out backstage. It was great at first. I met all the people I'd idolized. Nattie showed me some of her moves and Paige gave me fashion advice because I was into the same style as her. Afterward, I went to a bar with about half of the roster. That's where I met him.

Roman Reigns was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. His hair made me want to play with it and his eyes stared into my soul. I was enchanted the second he said, "Have we met, Baby Girl?"

I smiled at him awkwardly. "No," I managed to reply. "I'm Lily. I wrestle at NXT under Ashlynn." I was trying not to freak out, but I'd always been a Shield fan, so the fact that he was talking to me was kind of overwhelming.

"Nice to meet you, Lily. You probably know me as Roman Reigns, but you can call me Joe."

"Okay, Joe," I said. We talked about a lot of things after that. He asked about my training. I was what Triple H liked to call a natural. I'd been training at a wrestling school by the time I was fifteen with my mom's permission. She knew all I ever wanted was to be a wrestler, and she supported me. At eighteen, I'd secured an audition with WWE after Ashley, the daughter of Ric Flair known as Charlotte, had seen me wrestle at an indy show. Triple H had immediately put me on the NXT roster.

Joe kept buying me drinks. He insisted that since it was my twenty-first birthday, I had to make the most out of celebrating. He matched every one of my drinks with one of his own. We were beyond plastered. At one-thirty or so in the morning, he offered to walk me back to my hotel. He helped me to my room and closed the door behind us.

"You're really beautiful, Lily," he told me.

I blushed. "Thank you," I said.

He stunned me by pulling me into his arms and kissing me. I liked the kiss. It was hard and desperate, like he needed his lips to be on mine. I liked how that felt. Then he pulled me closer against him, and I felt the possessiveness of his arms, like I belonged to him. He was just so intense... It wasn't until he went for his zipper that I pulled away.

"Joe, wait," I said. "Slow down."

"Oh, come on, Lily. We were just starting to have fun." He pressed his body against mine and I could feel how hard he was. I was attracted to him, but this was happening way too fast.

"I don't even know you," I protested.

"So _get_ to know me." He pushed my legs apart with his hands and rubbed up against me. He'd pulled my skirt up so only my underwear was between us as he unzipped himself. I tried to pull away, but he didn't let me this time. He pushed me toward the bed.

"No!" I told him. "Get- get off of me, you asshole!"

He laughed. "Hard-to-get, huh?" He used his hand to tear my underwear off of me before shoving himself inside. I wanted to fight, but I was so drunk... Was this even really happening?

The worst part of all of this was that even though my mind was screaming and I was begging him to stop, my body reacted to what he was doing to me. I hated that it felt good as he kept going. He was huge inside of me and it hurt, even though I was certainly no virgin. I could feel him tearing me open as he got rougher. I was crying, and he just laughed and whispered sweet things to me like we were lovers.

Afterward, as I lay drenched in sweat and sobbing, he kissed my neck and whispered, "That was great, Baby Girl. We should definitely do it again." Then he got up, got properly dressed again, and left my room.

I didn't know what to do. I'd been drinking with him. I'd flirted with him. I'd brought him back to my room and kissed him. I'd even liked how he made me feel... But I said no. I hadn't wanted things to go this far. No meant no, right? That meant I had just been raped... Didn't it?

 _No one will believe you,_ I thought. _You were all over him at the bar. They'll think you consented._

I was trembling. He'd been so rough with me... I hurt everywhere. I stood and walked to the door. My hair was probably a mess, and my clothes were wrinkled, and my underwear was missing, but I needed to walk...

I made it halfway down the hall before I bumped into someone. I jumped out of my skin. "Sorry," he said. "Whoa... Shit, um... Are you okay?"

I looked up and realized I'd bumped right into Dean Ambrose. _Great,_ I thought. _I guess it's_ his _turn to rape me. Too bad Rollins is injured, or the whole set could turn me into their toy. That's clearly all I am to them... What a fucking night..._ I started laughing at the ridiculous though. I sounded insane, but I couldn't stop.

"Wow... Okay, come on," Dean said. He pulled me into a hotel room. My heart broke as I was positive he was going to take his turn with me.

Instead, Dean wrapped me in a thick, fuzzy blue blanket and said, "Whoever hurt you won't find you here, okay? So just take whatever time you need to get calm, and know you're gonna be alright, and you can talk when you're ready."

I stared at him. "Why?" I asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because you seem to need it. What's your name?"

I hesitated. I wasn't sure I could trust him, but what other choice did I have? "Lily," I finally said.

"I'm Dean." He didn't offer a real name. I knew from Wikipedia that his name was Jon, but I'd never heard anyone call him that. He studied me before asking, "Are you thirsty? Or hungry? I could order room service. It's twenty-four hours..."

"No... Nauseous."

"Too much to drink?"

I nodded. "Here," he said, tossing me a water bottle. "Water helps."

I saw it was unopened, so I decided to trust it and unscrewed the cap. I choked down some water. "Thanks," I finally said.

"Sure. So, Lily... Any chance of you telling me what happened?"

"Who said something did?"

He paused. "Look, no offense, but you look... You look like you were attacked." He pointed at my legs. "And you're dripping blood on my sheets."

I was horrified. "Oh God... I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't you _dare_ apologize... But someone hurt you, Lily. Tell me who it was so I can kick the son of a bitch's ass."

I stared at him. He genuinely seemed to want to help me, but I couldn't tell him. Joe or Roman or whatever I was supposed to call him was his best friend, in character and out. He wouldn't believe me. Reigns was the first member of the Shield to face turn, a Samoan, one of the good guys... _No one_ would ever believe me, especially not the guy who called him his brother.

"You're sweet, but I'm just really drunk..."

"Don't do that."

"Don't do _what_?"

"Lie to me. You can tell me you don't wanna talk or whatever, but don't fucking lie, okay? I'm not an idiot."

I didn't deny it. Instead, I said, "It's my twenty-first birthday, or it was until midnight anyway..."

He smiled at me sarcastically. "Happy birthday... Sorry it seems to have sucked."

"My birthday was fine. The bad part started after midnight."

He tossed me a t-shirt. "Here," he said. "You look like you could use a new shirt."

I realized it was one of his shirts. "I can't take this-"

"Consider it a belated birthday gift. I've got others. You wanna shower?" He quickly added, "I swear I'm not offering to take one with you or anything. You just... I figure you want to clean up." He had clearly decided not to push me to call the cops or anything, and I was grateful.

"Yeah," I said. "Yeah, that would be great."

He nodded. "Bathroom's that way."

"Um... Dean, I..." I stared at the floor. I had no underwear, but I didn't want to say that, so I just said, "Could I borrow some pants?"

He tossed me a pair of boxers and a pair of sweats from his suitcase. "Keep 'em," he said.

I picked them up and stumbled toward the bathroom. Dean caught my arm and steadied me. Suddenly, I felt sick. I ran to the toilet and started puking. To my shock, Dean knelt beside me. He pulled my hair away from my face and stayed by my side as I vomited up what felt like every meal I'd eaten since I was fifteen.

"Do you want a doctor?" He finally asked me.

"No," I said. My throat hurt and my voice was hoarse. "I feel better now."

He nodded and helped me stand up. My knees were shaking. "Are you sure you can handle a shower?" He asked.

"Yeah... I just... I need a minute."

He stayed with me and passed me some toothpaste. "I don't have an extra toothbrush... I know it's not really hygenic, but you can use mine if you want to."

"I'll just use my finger. That's good enough for this second." I looked at him. "I'm good to shower now."

Dean stepped out of the bathroom, leaving me to my own devices. I ran the water, hoping a shower would help me. I stepped inside, letting the hot water hit my body. I relaxed in the steam, hoping the water would soothe my sore muscles. I tried not to think about what had happened. I was still drunk, although I was starting to move on to hung-over. I was in no shape to try to figure out if I had really just been raped or if both of us being drunk off our asses meant I had just made some poor choices and was regretting them. Whatever happened, I was pretty sure I was safe now. Dean seemed determined to take care of me. I didn't understand his unexpected kindness, but I appreciated it.

After spending more time in the shower than I should have, I realized my skin was red. A few spots had been scrubbed nearly raw. I dried myself off and changed into Dean's clothes. They were big on me and that made them extremely comfortable. I was feeling safe, warm, clean, and sober when I walked out of the bathroom.

"You good?" Dean asked me.

I nodded. "Thank you," I said.

"No problem... Do you want me to walk you to your room or...?"

I suddenly panicked. That room was the last place I wanted to go. "I... Can I...?"

"You can stay if you want. Take the bed. I don't sleep much anyway."

"Dean, no... I can't-"

"Look, it's fine. I don't mind. You're exhausted." He paused. "And scared. You'll be safe here, Lily. I promise."

I didn't deny it. Instead, I nodded. "Okay," I said. "Thank you."

He pulled the blanket up so I could crawl into the bed. Then he covered me. It was so sweet... Dean was _not_ what I'd expected. As I tried to relax, I heard him sit down in the chair in the room and knew he was watching over me. That should have been creepy, but instead, it was comforting. I just hoped I'd be able to sleep.

 _ **CODY**_

My phone went off at five-thirty in the morning. I groaned and rolled over to shut it off before settling back into a comfortable position and wrapping my arms around my wife.

Brandi let out a slight moan before saying, "That was the alarm, honey."

"You sure?" I asked. "I think it was more of a _suggestion_."

Brandi laughed. "You're meeting Dustin at six in the gym," she reminded me.

"He can work out without me."

"Baby-"

"I know, I _know_... Alright, _fine_. The evil alarm wins again." I reluctantly released my wife before rolling out of bed. I dragged myself to the shower to get clean and presentable before I worked myself into a sweaty mess... Maybe that defeated the purpose of the first shower, but it's what people were supposed to do.

When I was ready to leave, Brandi pulled me into her arms for a kiss. I almost refused to walk away. "I'm the luckiest man alive," I informed her.

She smiled at me. "Give your brother my love," she said.

"Will do." I grabbed my gym bag and headed to the hotel gym.

My older half-brother Dustin was already working out. "Cody!" He called me over to him.

I joined him. "Morning, Dustin," I greeted him.

"You look exhausted, Kid."

"I'm half-asleep. Caffeine will fix me right up."

"Late night?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Brandi keep you up?" He teased.

"I _wish_ that was the reason... I don't know what it was, Dus. I just had this nagging sense that something was wrong. I couldn't shake it. I finally just blacked out."

"Is it gone now?"

I considered his question. "Not totally, but it's better... I'm calmer."

"Well, get on a machine and work the rest of your stress off."

That sounded like a good idea, so I did exactly that. After about an hour, I felt significantly better. I looked at Dustin and asked, "Have I earned caffeine yet?"

He laughed. "I guess so. Let's go get breakfast. You wanna invite the wife?" He asked.

"Brandi's got plans with the girls this morning. I'll catch her for lunch."

"Alright then. Come on, my treat."

"Really?" I grinned. "Big brother, why do you spoil me?"

"You had a bad night. Don't get used to it, but I feel like being nice today."

I didn't have to be told twice. I followed him to the showers, where I once again made myself presentable, and then he led the way to a diner. It wasn't a bad way to start a day, but a little voice in the back of my mind was still nagging me. I couldn't shake the feeling that something big was coming...

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story. I appreciate any and all reviews!_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

 _ **LILY**_

I woke up in a bed that was not my own feeling confused and groggy. I braced myself for a headache, but it didn't come. Apparently, the water had helped... _The water_... Which _Dean Ambrose_ had given me...

And suddenly, I remembered. After a great night, I'd ended up in my hotel room with Roman Reigns and he'd forced himself on me. Now that I was sober, I was positive that's what had happened. Yes, I had willingly gotten drunk with him, and yes, I'd been alone in my room with him. I nearly gagged as I realized I had been attracted to the man who'd raped me. I'd flirted with him. I'd enjoyed kissing him. I'd reacted to his touch... I'd reacted to _him,_ to all of it, even though I hadn't wanted to... But the important thing was, I _hadn't_ wanted to. I'd told him to stop. I'd said no, and he'd ignored me. That made it rape, no matter what the other details were.

I looked at Dean, who was sitting in the chair looking like he hadn't slept at all. "Um... Hey," I said lamely. The guy gave up his bed and some of his clothes to a stranger and all he got was a hey? Normally, I could have done better, but what do you say to the guy who let you crash in his room so your rapist couldn't find you?

"Hey," Dean replied casually. "Hungry yet?" He didn't ask me if I was okay, or even how I was feeling. I didn't know the answer to those questions, so I was glad.

"Kind of, I think..." My stomach was seriously empty.

"What do you eat?"

"Food." I forced a smile.

He smiled back, a genuinely amused smile for the first time since we'd met. "Sarcasm? Good. That's my native language."

"Mine, too… I'm not a picky eater."

"Cool." He picked up the phone and ordered two deluxe breakfast combos, which basically came with everything you could imagine, and two coffees.

I got up and went to the bathroom. I saw a brand new toothbrush sitting on the sink. I stuck my head outside and asked, "Did you buy me a toothbrush while I was sleeping?"

"Another awesome belated birthday present," he replied with a smirk. "I had Glenn bring it by. You're welcome."

"Glenn? You mean you sent _Kane_ to buy me a toothbrush?"

"Why not? It's good practice for when they inevitably turn him into Colby's corporate bitch again in a few months when he comes back." He laughed. "I stuck my head out as he was walking by and figured I'd ask if he'd mind. He was headed down to the hotel store to buy beer for him and Mark anyway."

I had a visual of Kane in his demonic ring gear, mask and all, walking into a store with the Undertaker and buying alcohol, coffin nails, and a shovel before asking, _Oh, and by the way, do you guys sell toothbrushes?_ I imagined the cashier would be afraid to tell him no. I started laughing hysterically.

"Um... You alright there, Lily?" Dean asked me.

I was still laughing. "Yeah... Just picturing some really ridiculous things right now. Sorry. I'm weird like that. I go into my own head a lot when I'm stressed. Only child syndrome."

"It's cool. I'm a weirdo, too." He smiled at me. "Glenn got you a brush, too. In case you wanna brush your hair."

"Thank you. Really," I said. I closed the door to finish brushing my teeth. I ran my fingers through my hair. It was a tangled mess. It took a while to brush out, and by the time I did, room service had delivered breakfast. I was suddenly starving.

We ate in silence for a bit before Dean said, "You seem to be doing better today."

"I am," I said. "I try not to let bad things keep me down."

"It... I mean... Last night seemed more than just _'bad,_ ' Lily."

"It was. It's pretty much the worst night I've ever had, but you know what? The sun rose."

" _'The sun rose'_? That's _it_?"

"That's all that matters. It's another day. I'm alive. I can make this one better." I laugh. "I sound so lame right now... It's just something my mom always tells me. Totally lame and cliche, but that's my mom."

" _My_ mom's a junkie I don't talk to but feel obligated to financially support," Dean said casually. "Wanna trade?" I had no idea how to respond to that. "Relax. It's just how things are. That's life and I deal with it."

"It must be hard."

"It used to be. I try not to let it get to me anymore. I can't change it anyway, so why stress? Don't even get me started on my asshole of a father. Luckily, he wasn't around much."

"I don't know my dad. My mother refused to tell me who he was. I know she had an affair with a married man, but that's it."

"Great morals, clearly." He laughed. "Probably goes to church every Sunday." He hesitated. "Shit, you're not Catholic, right? I'm not trying to offend you or anything."

I laughed. "I'm not religious, but even if I was, I'm not easily offended."

"That's good, 'cause I'm _really_ offensive sometimes. I'm a total asshole." He said it with pride. I laughed.

We continued talking for a bit. It felt weird, but he was very easy to talk to. It seemed I could trust Dean, even if the same couldn't be said for his former stablemate.

 _ **CODY**_

Dustin and I had finished breakfast and gone our separate ways when I spotted Paul. I ran over to him. "Hey, Boss Man," I greeted him.

"Stardust!" he replied sarcastically.

"Not right this second, no."

"What's up, Cody?"

"I wanted to talk to you about plans for my character."

"Sure, Kid. How about next week sometime?"

"Well, I was sort of thinking right now, lif you have a seco-"

"Great, Kid, great. I'll see you next week." He walked away, completely oblivious to what I'd said. This wasn't entirely abnormal. In fact, it was a pretty frequent routine. I'd been with WWE forever, and Paul still treated me like I was a rookie sometimes. I'd always be Dusty's kid. That was a great thing to be, and I was proud to call myself his son, but I was more than that. The company had never believed my father could be the biggest superstar, the face of the company. They felt the same way about Dustin and I. Most of the time, I didn't mind being a mid-carder, but occasionally, I wanted _more_. Unfortunately, I was pretty sure I was never going to get it.

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _Thanks for the reviews so far! I really appreciate them. To the one person who said they're kind of upset Roman's a villain but still like the story, thanks for that and I'm kind of upset, too. I've never written him as a villain before. It's something different, because I usually write Roman as a good guy, a protective hero type. I like exploring other angles, but it's weird for me. I appreciate that you're sticking with me! Anyway, thank you all and I hope you're enjoying the story!_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

 _ **LILY**_

After a surprisingly nice talk with Dean, I knew I needed to go back to my room. I hesitated. "Hey," Dean said, noticing. "You alright?"

"I... Yeah," I said. "Thanks for everything, Dean. You really helped me out. I should get back to my room."

"You don't have to, you know. I'm not kicking you out."

"I've taken up enough of your time."

"Lily, it's fine. Really."

I was embarrassed because I wanted to stay with him. I was afraid to go back to my room. The thing was, I'd never let fear stop me from doing anything before.

"I'll be okay," I promised. "I just need for everything to get back to normal."

"It won't," he said bluntly as I started to walk out the door.

"What?"

"It won't get back to normal, Lily, no matter how hard you wish it would. This happened. It isn't going away. You have to deal with it. Pretending nothing happened will fuck you up worse."

I stared at him. I wanted to curse him out or kick him or do _anything_ to prove he was wrong. Where did he get off? Who the fuck _was_ this guy to tell me what my future held? What the fuck did he know?

Looking into his eyes, however, I knew he wasn't trying to be an asshole. I saw concern there. More importantly, I saw understanding. Somehow, this big, psychotic wrestler _understood_ what I was dealing with. That didn't make a lot of sense.

"Dean... Look, you've been great to me, but I need to stand on my own two feet," I said.

He nodded. "Okay, I can respect that. But if you need anything, you know where to find me until we leave here..." He wrote something down. "And that's my number. If you need to or want to or just feel like screaming at someone, dial it. I'm here."

I took it in shock. "Thank you... _Really_."

He opened the door to his hotel room. "Do you want me to walk you back?" He asked.

I did, but I shook my head. I needed to do this on my own. "That's okay. I'll see you around..." I walked out and headed to my hotel room.

I was okay at first, but once I stepped inside, I saw the mess left over in the room. I'd fought harder than I realized. The sheets were in terrible shape. There was even a little bit of blood. A lamp had fallen to the floor. My underwear was still on the floor where he'd forced it off of me as he leaned me over the bed...

I started to panic. Unwelcome images flashed through my head. I could still see him, hear him, feel him... I could smell the mix of sweat and cologne and alcohol he'd left all over me. I could feel the way he'd bitten my lip at points to stop me from screaming. I could feel him, huge inside of me, tearing me apart in ways I hadn't been able to fully process while drunk.

I doubled over in pain, then gagged and ran to the bathroom and threw up my breakfast. My throat burned as I continued puking. It didn't matter that my stomach was empty. My body was trying to force _him_ out of me.

"Too much to drink last night?" An amused voice asked.

I jumped, then clung to the toilet as I flushed it, too sick to stand up yet. Ashley stared at me. "Hey, sorry! Your door was open. Are you okay?" She asked.

"Hung-over," I said. It wasn't a lie.

"Well, you only turn twenty-one once, right?" Ashley pulled a bottle of water out of my mini fridge. "Wow... What happened in here?" She looked at the messy room in surprise.

"Nothing," I said.

"Nothing?" She raised an eyebrow at that.

"Things got a little out of hand, that's all."

Ashley seemed to see through my words. "Lily... Are you sure you're okay?" She asked. She reached over to help me stand, but I got up on my own. As she followed me out of the bathroom, she went to close the door.

"No!" I said in an irrational panic. Ashley looked at me. "Leave it open. Please."

That, unfortunately, was when her eyes fell to the bed. I saw her spot the blood. "Oh, shit, Lily... Who was it?"

"It's nothing-"

"Don't you _dare_ try to lie about this! Who did this to you, Lily? I'll kick his motherfucking ass myself and then make sure to get you a good lawyer so he rots in a cell!"

I wanted to lie, but what was the point? The evidence was blatently staring her in the face. "I don't want to talk about it," I said instead.

Ashley softened slightly. "You have to call the cops, Lil. He has to pay for hurting you."

"We were drunk-"

"Did you want to do this?"

"No.. Maybe... I don't know. I liked him, but... I didn't want it to go this far."

"Did you tell him no?"

"Yes," I admitted.

"Then it's rape, Lily, no matter _how_ drunk you both were."

I sighed. "I know... But I don't want people thinking I'm weak."

"You are _not_ weak. The limp-dick who has to force himself on a young girl to get off is weak."

"It... Ashley, no one will believe me. Everyone saw me flirting with him all night and drinking with him, and he's... He's a big deal around here."

I saw rage flash back on her face. "It was one of the wrestlers? Son of a bitch!" She looked at me. "Lily, I'm so sorry this happened to you... But you need to report it."

"I took a shower. I have no proof."

"Your sheets are proof. It's good the maid hasn't come and cleaned up yet."

"I left the do not disturb sign on the door I guess... I think he put it on the door when we got back here... It's a little fuzzy."

"Who was it, Lily?" She looked at my t-shirt. "Oh, fuck, was it Ambrose? I'll cut his dick off-"

"No!" I said quickly. "Dean... I ran into him afterward. He took care of me, Ash. He kept me safe after it happened. I wouldn't tell him who it was, either, but he helped me. I owe him..."

Ashley seemed to decide she believed me. "Okay... But whoever did this is still out there, Lily. He could do it again, to you or someone else. You _have_ to report this."

I realized she was right about that part. "I need to think about it... But Ash, why are you here, anyway?"

"Well, I wanted to ask... Never mind."

"No, please. Ask."

"I wanted to know if you wanted to have a match at the house show tonight."

I was instantly distracted. "Really? Of course I do! Against who?"

"Me, of course! And Becky. It would be a tag match, to get your feet wet with the main roster."

I stared at her. "Hell yes! Who's my tag partner?"

"Lily, with what happened-"

"With what happened, I _need_ this. So who's my partner?"

"Brie Bella. With Nikki out injured, she needs a partner."

"What about Alicia Fox?"

"She's wrestling Trinity tonight." She hesitated. "Lily, this isn't the right time for you to take this match."

"Yes it is. What better way to prove I'm not a victim than to get in that ring and wrestle my ass off?"

"You could be hurt."

"Then let them check me. I'll see a doctor."

"Lily, honey-"

"I'll tell them, okay? I will tell them what happened." I knew Ashley was right and that he could do this again if I kept it to myself. I had to stop acting like a helpless, scared victim.

"You... You will? Just for a match?"

"The match is only part of it."

She nodded. "Let's call the cops."

"Wait. Triple H first."

"Paul can't help-"

"Paul needs to know one of his guys did this and I don't want him being blindsided by cops."

"Okay." Ashley called Paul herself. She waited with me until we got to his office, where I told her I was ready to do this alone. Reluctantly, she left.

Paul welcomed me with a big smile. I sat down in a chair. I took a deep breath and said, "Paul... Something happened last night."

His face turned serious. "What was it?" He asked.

"I... um... I let someone walk me back to my room... And he came in, and things got out of hand."

"Out of hand how?"

I had to do this. I took another deep breath. "He raped me." The words were strange to say aloud, but I knew it was better to just blurt it out and not beat around the bush.

Paul seemed unsure of what to say. Finally, he asked, "Who was it?"

"Reigns." It was easier to call him that, like I was talking about a character and not an actual person.

Paul stood up so fast, I jumped slightly. "Now, wait a minute," he said quickly. "Are you sure, Lily? I mean, I know Roman. He's a legacy. He isn't the type of guy who would just-"

I was pissed at that. Who the fuck did Paul think he was to say that to me? "Really? Well, he _did_ , so I guess you're wrong."

He hesitated. I think he realized what a stupid thing that had been to say to me. "Lily, I didn't mean-"

"Yes you did. You think Roman Reigns is above reproach. You think he's incapable of raping someone. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but he did."

"It's not that... It's just, Roman is generally a good guy. I know you were both drinking last night... Is it possible that you're confused about what happened?"

"Fucking hell, Paul, are you _serious_?"

"Maybe things just went further than you would have wanted if you'd been sober."

"You're damn right it did! If I'd been sober, I would have fought harder and gotten away! If I'd been sober, I'd have reported it sooner! If I'd been sober, I wouldn't have ever let him into my room! If I'd been sober..." I stopped talking. What else could I say?

Paul realized he fucked up. "I'm sorry... I wasn't there, so I don't know what happened. I just need to know if you have any proof-"

"Blood. On my sheets."

"That only proves it got a little rough. He's a big guy, and this is your word against his. He'll argue that."

"I took a shower... But I will let a doctor check me... See if there are... signs." _Signs of force._... I knew that's what I needed. I'd watched enough crime dramas to know how this went.

Paul sighed. "Let me talk to him. By all means, get cleared by a doctor. Take care of yourself. Let me handle getting his side of the story."

I didn't want to leave it at that, but Paul stood up. It was obvious he was dismissing me. I walked back into the hallway and took off running. If I walked too slowly, the thoughts that hit me would be very bad. I'd told my boss the truth, and he pretty much told me I was wrong. I wasn't sure how to handle that. I ran until I couldn't breathe, and then I dropped to my hands and knees and screamed.

 _ **CODY**_

I was walking through the park near the hotel when I heard it. Someone was screaming. It sounded so primal, my hair stood on end. If I still had my ridiculously dashing mustache, that probably would have been twitching, too. Something was very, _very_ wrong.

I raced toward the wooded area and followed the sound of sobs. That was when I spotted her, rocking in a self-soothing rhythm, nearly catatonic. I recognized her immediately.

"Lily?" I asked. "Honey, what's wrong?" Lily had been one of my dad's favorite "kids" at NXT. He had always raved about how much potential she had. I hardly knew her, but I knew Dad would want me to help her. Hell, maybe he'd been the one who put it in my head to go to the park in the first place.

"Lily..." I called again. I knelt near her, but didn't get too close. Whatever had happened, I didn't want to make it worse.

She noticed me then. She quickly wiped away her tears and sat up. "Cody... Hi," she said awkwardly.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Nothing. Just a crap couple of days."

"I get that... Anything I can do to help?"

"No... I'm okay. I need to be somewhere."

"Do you want company?"

"Um... It's kind of personal. But thanks for the offer. That's sweet of you."

"At least let me make sure you get there safely." I paused. "I know you barely know me, but my Dad would be furious if I left one of his favorites to wander around alone while upset."

She stared at me. "One of his...?"

"Yeah. Dad thought you were great, Lily."

This seemed to shock her. Most of the kids dad had embraced like that were humbled by it. She finally asked, "Really?"

"I never say that unless it's true." I smiled at her kindly. She relaxed slightly.

"That means a lot... He was a great man."

It always stung a bit when people referred to Dad in the past tense. It was like I'd remember all over again that he was gone.

"Yeah," I said. "He really was." I knew the sadness showed on my face. When I was in character, I could hide anything, but I was Cody today, not Stardust, and the pain was obvious.

"You can walk me there," she said suddenly. "Thank you."

I nodded. We made a bit of small talk until we arrived at a clinic. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Do you have anyone picking you up?"

"I'm going to ask Ashley to meet me. If all goes well, I'll have a match against her and Becky tonight."

I raised my eyebrow in surprise. "Look at you, making it to the big leagues!" I smiled. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Cody." She smiled back before heading into the clinic. As I walked away, I found myself wondering what Dad would think of her possibly coming up to the main roster at such a young age. He loved his NXT Kids like they were his own children. I knew how he'd feel, really. He'd be damn proud.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

 _ **LILY**_

I had some serious issues getting through the exam. I admitted to the doctor at the clinic that I'd been raped, so they ran a rape kit on me. I couldn't really deal with that, so I detatched myself from the situation. I pretended I was watching an episode of _Law & Order: SVU_. I gave the responses I knew would be expected from a victim, but I didn't think of myself as one. I _couldn't_.

After it was over, the doctor admitted they found very little. The little bit of DNA they found was probably from my body. There was tearing and evidence of rough sex, but nothing that proved rape. The doctor asked me to file a police report, but I knew the chances of me winning a case were slim, so I refused. All I wanted was to know if I was medically cleared to wrestle, and in spite of some bruising, I was.

I called Ashley and had her pick me up. "I'm cleared," I said. "The match is on."

"Did they arrest him?" Ashley asked.

"I didn't file charges."

"Wait, what? I thought-"

"Paul is going to talk to him."

" _Talk_ to him? Lily, he-"

"I know what he did... This is all I can do right now. There's not enough proof."

"That's _bull_! I can't believe Paul-"

"Let it go, Ash. Please. I can't keep obsessing over it. I'm healthy. That's all that matters."

Ashley was terrible about letting things go, but I could tell she was trying. We started discussing plans for our match. I knew it could be a great one if we worked it right. When we got to the arena, I walked away for a little bit. I pulled out my phone and called my mom. I really needed to talk to someone, but I couldn't tell Ashley the details of who had attacked me. She'd probably kill Roman, and I didn't want her getting in trouble for trying to protect me. I'd always told my mom everything, and somehow, she always made it better.

"Hello?" She answered. She sounded exhausted.

"Hey, Mom," I greeted her.

"Lily! How's my baby?" Her tone perked right up as she realized it was me, but I saw through it. Today was one of her bad days.

"I'm great, Mom," I said, knowing today wasn't the day to put this on her. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Lily... Just tired. Stop worrying so much."

She knew I couldn't just stop worrying. My mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was seven, and the disease had progressed pretty far over the years. Although chronic and incurable, MS in and of itself wasn't a death sentence. Unfortunately, my mother was born with weak lungs to begin with, and when the MS started attacking her body, the muscles in her lungs slowly stopped working. She was currently living in a hospice. I'd spent months praying for a miracle, but none came. My mother was dying, and there was no way to stop it.

I had a hard time accepting that, so I often tried to pretend it wasn't the case. I knew my mom needed me to stay positive, so I forced myself to focus on good news. "Guess what!" I said eagerly.

"What?" She asked with her usual enthusiasm.

"I have a match at a house show with the main roster tonight! This is my unofficial debut!"

"Oh, Lily, that's _wonderful_! I'm so proud of you, baby!"

It meant so much to me to hear that, even though I knew. My mother was all I'd ever had growing up, and she was an amazing person. She never let her illness break her spirit. The sun rose, and that was all that mattered. Everything else could be dealt with.

"I'm really excited," I told her.

"Who's your match against?"

"Ashley and Becky. I'm tagging with Brie."

"I know you never much cared for the twins. Do you mind working with her?"

"If it gets me on a main roster show? Of course I don't mind!"

"Good. I'm so happy for you, baby..." She paused. "I love you, Lily."

"I love you, too, Mom."

"Now, you go out there, and you kick some ass, alright?"

"Of course I will!"

"And just remember, I'm with you in spirit. You can tell me all about it afterward."

"Okay, Mom." I almost didn't hang up. I was worried about her, and hearing ger voice was comforting, but I knew I needed to get ready for my match.

"I love you," I said again.

"I love you, too," she replied before hanging up the phone.

I tried to push my concerns out of my head. It was time to focus on my match.

 _ **CODY**_

Before the show, Paul grabbed me to pitch a "great" idea to me for the night. After he told me what it was, I think my face must have given my feelings away, but Paul didn't appear to notice. "You want me to do _what_ , exactly?" I asked.

Paul started over. "Walk out there and cut a promo about how awful he was and how you're going to prove he wasn't worthy by winning tonight... You'll lose, of course. I'd never disrespect his memory-"

"Paul, you're asking _me_ to disrespect his memory," I protested.

"Not _you,_ Kid... _Stardust_. I mean, you had no issue being a disrespectful heel in character before-"

"He was _alive_ at the time, Paul!" I blurted out. How could he think this was okay? "In fact, my dad helped us plan that storyline! And did you forget that, because of it, the last thing I ever did on-screen with him was _hate_ him?"

I was so frustrated, I wanted to scream. I was raising my voice, but I hadn't screamed at him or cursed him out... _Yet_. I was getting pretty damn close now.

"I'm sorry, Cody," Paul said gently as he took a step back. "I wasn't thinking... You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

I never said no to anything. I prided myself on being completely professional, and no matter what the WWE asked of me, I did it, but this was too much. Maybe it was okay to say no this one time.

"I'd rather not, Paul," I said.

He nodded. "I understand. We'll cut the match-"

"Can't Neville and I do it differently? We don't need that storyline to have a match. We have a recurring rivalry anyway."

"No... No, I think it's best we just cut the match. We'll use you at the next show." He smiled at me like someone would smile at a child they pitied.

 _Great,_ I thought. That wasn't how I had wanted this to go. Still, I knew I'd made the right choice, even if Paul now thought I was too emotional to wrestle.

I sighed as he left me alone. I pulled out my phone and texted Brandi. _It looks like I'm free tonight. Want to go out on the town?_

Two minutes later, I had plans. The night was looking up. My career was another story.

 _ **LILY**_

I stood in the gorilla position with Brie, Ashley, and Becky by my side. "Don't worry," Ashley said. "You're already awesome. Now, they'll get to see that." She hugged me.

"Good luck," Becky said as she and Ashley headed out to the ring.

I stared at my wrestling boots. I was a ball of nerves. I felt like my stomach was going to flee my body any second. I'd done a ton of shows, but they'd never been so big. Indy shows usually only drew a couple hundred people at most and NXT had a small crowd, too. The main roster was a totally different world.

"You okay?" Brie asked.

I was surprised. I had barely spoken to Brie except to introduce myself. She looked at me and made a face that was a cross between amused and sympathetic. "Hey, don't worry. _Everyone_ is nervous at first. It'll be okay. I'll take the lead and you can just tag in when you're ready, alright?" She spoke gently and patiently. I hadn't expected her to be so nice. I'd always heard that the Bellas were super bitches who slept their way to the top and would claw out the eyes of any girl they deemed a threat.

"Thanks," I managed to say.

Brie's music started and we headed out to the ring. As I climbed into the ring, instinct and training took over. I started to forget about the crowd and just focus on wrestling a hell of a good match.

The bell rang. Brie and Ashley started. Ashley worked Brie over hard, not holding back on any of her moves. Brie tried to hold her own, but Ashley was the better wrestler. Somehow, Brie pulled Ashley into the Yes! Lock. Ashley struggled hard until she reached the ropes snd the referee broke them up. Ashley tagged out and Becky jumped in as Brie looked to me. I nodded and she tagged me in.

 _Make them remember you,_ I told myself. I jumped in and immediately ran at Becky, nailing her with a clothesline. Becky hit the mat hard and the fans, most of whom didn't know me, began cheering. When Becky stood, I gave her no time to recover. I hit a standing hurricanrana with no warning and Becky went down again. Now the fans were chanting, "That was awesome!"

"What's Her Name?" A group near the front started shouting over and over.

Ashley covered a laugh. Becky was still down. Brie hopped off the ring, grabbed a microphone, and handed it to me. "This is how you make them respect you," she whispered. "Cut a promo they can't forget."

This was on the spot and I had nothing planned. I looked at the crowd and took a deep breath. I'd trained for this. Dusty excelled at promos snd had taught us all well. He made us practice until we could cut promos in our sleep. I could do this.

"Hello, Kirkwood!" I remembered Dusty always suggested acknowledging the show's locations in promos. I also knew it was time to fully channel the character I'd been working on. Ashlynn was kind of a punk rock girl like me, but with a bit of a flirty southern belle thrown in. Mom and I had moved out of the deep south by the time I waa five, but I sometimes had a bit of a drawl when I talked. In character, however, I let my _Nawleens_ drawl fully out as I continued, "My name is Ashlynn, and I came all the way from _Nawleens,_ Louisiana just to put on a good show for y'all! Are y'all having fun yet?" There were some decent cheers. Becky stood and came at me with a vicious look in her eyes. I casually dropped the microphone, hit a DDT, and picked it back up before adding, "How 'bout _now_?"

The arena exploded in cheers. The crowd was totally behind me now as I dropped the microphone again. Becky must have crawled to Ashley and tagged her in because Ashley ran in and rolled me up from behind for a pin. I barely kicked out. We were back on script as Ashley hit me with her best moves. She pulled me into the Figure Eight. I cried out in pain but stubbornly refused to tap. Brie jumped in to break up the hold. I tried to crawl back to the corner, but Becky yanked Brie off the ring so I couldn't tag her. Ashley rolled me up again, and this time, I got pinned for the three count.

I may have lost, but that had been the best moment of my life so far. I hugged Ashley, Becky, and Brie backstage. They shared my enthusiasm. The crowd had loved the match, something the Divas didn't always get to experience because of bad writing and short time slots.

When we reached the locker room, I grabbed my cell phone to call my mom. I dialed her number and waited for her to pick up, but it was Susannah, one of her nurses, who answered. "Lily... I was just about to call you," she said nervously.

Immediately, my mood changed. "What happened?" I asked.

"I... I'm sorry, Lily. She's gone."

I didn't speak because those words couldn't mean what I thought they meant. Gone for tests, gone for a walk... But not... _gone_.

"It happened a few minutes ago... I'm so sorry," Susannah continued.

"I understand," I lied. "I'll be in touch." I hung up and flung my phone across the locker room. I proceeded to stand up, run out, and try to outrun my overwhelming emotions. This couldn't be happening.

I made it halfway down the block before strong arms grabbed me. I realized I was hysterical. "Lily... Fuck, what happened?" A voice asked.

"Dean," I registered aloud. And then, because I _needed_ to say it for it to sink in, I added, "My mother... She's gone. She's _dead_."

I didn't say anything else, and Dean didn't say anything cliche to comfort me. Instead, he picked me up and carried me back to his hotel room, where he held me as I cried and tried to process the impossible.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

 _ **CODY**_

 _Something is amiss in the cosmos!_

I groaned as the voice I knew entirely too well gave me this cryptic message. _Go away, Stardust,_ I thought. _It's too early for this._

 _I_ said _something is amiss! Amiss, amiss,_ amiss! _Pay attention, my insignificant keeper. The time is coming!_

 _Can it come after noon? I'm exhausted,_ I thought.

 _You fool! The cosmic key is closer than ever! The answer to all the missing pieces is near!_

"For God's sake, _shut up_ already!" I snapped aloud.

Brandi looked at me from across the room. Anyone else might have been concerned, but she was used to me arguing with my imaginary frienemy. I swear, I'm not completely insane. Stardust began as a joke, really. At best, he was meant to be a tribute to the big brother I loved so much. At worst, he was a symptom of a psychotic break, but I tried to tell myself he was the first one. As I developed him more, Stardust took on a life of his own, and when I lost my father, he started talking to me.

Wait, that still sounds crazy. Okay, I know Stardust is a character I made up, but it's sort of like my subconscious took on his persona to communicate with me. There, that's better. A perfectly scientific, psychological, semi-rational explanation. Yep, nothing to see here, folks. Just a grown man arguing with a shiny voice in his head who dances around demanding attention randomly. Totally normal.

Stardust quieted down, but I was pretty sure he blew a raspberry and flipped me off first. I sighed and pulled the pillow over my face.

"You okay, honey?" Brandi asked.

I gave her a thumb's up without taking my head out from under the pillow. Brandi came over and pulled it off of my face, giving me a kiss.

"What's wrong?" She asked knowingly.

"No clue," I replied dryly. "Ask Stardust. _He_ seems to know _everything_." I had no idea why, but his cryptic taunt had me on edge today. Usually, I took this stuff in stride. It might be weird, but if talking to Stardust was the worst of my problems after losing my father, I figured I wasn't doing too bad.

"Cody... What happened?" Brandi seemed genuinely concerned now.

"Nothing," I said quickly. I didn't like worrying her. Brandi was my rock. I kissed her to try to ease her concerns.

My phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID and picked up. "What's up, Randy?" I asked.

Randy Orton and I had practically grown up together. He was five years older than me and we were both legacies, so we saw each other fairly often over the years. He was like a big brother to me. Actually, for years, I was closer to Randy than Dustin because there was a big age gap between my brother and I and we'd had a hard time bonding when I was a kid. When I first started wrestling in WWE, it was Randy who embraced me like a big brother and took me under his wing. Eventually, after my earliest tag days with Hardcore Holly, Randy came up with the idea for Legacy. When he pitched it, mine was the first name he gave. He insisted I was made of main event material and sold me to Paul until he had no choice but to agree. Paul decided Legacy needed to be bigger, so he brought Ted DiBiase Jr. in and Legacy was born. Those days with Randy and Teddy included some of my favorite matches.

"You're having breakfast with me," Randy informed me.

"I am?" I asked. "But you're not even here. You're still out injured."

"It's called a car. I drove."

I paused. He'd driven pretty freaking far just for breakfast... "Okay, why?"

"Because you need it. There's a diner in the next town, so no one sees me and spreads rumors that I'm coming back tonight. I'll text you the address. See you there in an hour. I'm buying." He hung up.

This wasn't entirely abnormal. I never told Randy no because he was still an honorary big brother to me. It also wasn't weird for him to know when I needed him. I can't explain how, but Randy _always_ knew. Still, he'd never crossed state lines just because he thought I might need a hug before.

"Did you call Randy?" I asked Brandi.

"No, why?" She asked.

"Apparently, he drove a couple hundred miles to have breakfast with me... Do you mind?"

Brandi was used to the bromance between me and Randy. She smiled sweetly. "Go. It might be good for you."

I nodded. A few minutes later, I was showered and ready to go. I kissed Brandi goodbye and got into my rental car, then headed on my way to have breakast with a viper.

 _ **LILY**_

I'd cried myself to sleep while Dean stroked my hair and said nothing. That was enough. I just needed to not be alone. When I woke up, I put on my metaphorical Adulting Hat and started making plans. I bought a plane ticket home. I thanked Dean for his help again and went back to my room to pack. When that was done, I went to Paul's office. I knocked once before entering, not caring if I got an invitation first.

Paul looked up from his paperwork in confusion. "Lily? Good to see you. You did great last night, Kiddo!" He said pleasantly.

"Thanks," I replied numbly. "Paul, I have to go home."

He paused. "I was going to invite you to work the rest of the house shows for the tour after how well you did... Is this about Roman?"

"No. This has nothing to do with him... My..." I hesitated. I didn't want my career to end before it began, but what could I do? I needed to go home. "I got news right after my match... My mom..." I choked on the words as tears threatened to surface. I refused to cry in front of him. I took a deep breath. "She passed away."

"Oh, Kid... I'm so sorry, Lily. Take all the time you need. We'll bring you back as soon as you're ready. The fans loved you. Your return and possibly your television debut will be even more anticipated when you come back."

I was relieved he wasn't banishing me to being invisible. My career wouldn't die along with my mother. I took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you."

He hesitated. "Lily... Do you have anyone to help you through this?"

"It was just me and Mom, so no... But I'll manage."

"What about costs? The funeral? The burial? Your ticket home?"

I hadn't gotten that far. "I got my ticket... Other than that... I don't know. I'm not rich or anything, and mom's medical bills were pretty high so there isn't much money, but... I'll figure it out."

Paul surprised me by gently putting his hand on my arm to stop me from leaving. "'I'll take care of it."

"What?" I was sure I'd misunderstood him. I was _no one_. I wasn't even a member of the main roster. Why would he be offering to help me?

"You've been through a hell of a lot this week... Things I can't change. This is something I _can_ do for you."

"Paul-"

"Look, call it a late birthday present to make up for the mess my actual present caused for you. You're an amazing talent, Lily, and I care. Let me do this for you. Besides, I met your mom. I know how much she meant to you. I know how strong you've had to be with her illness, and I know that even with how sick she was, she tried to be there for you. A woman like that deserves a proper send-off."

I wasn't sure what to say. Part of me could tell Paul genuinely felt bad for me. Another part was insisting this was just hush money so I wouldn't go to the police about Roman, or worse, the Media. I figured it was about fifty-fifty, but his reasons didn't matter. I needed to bury my mother. If I had to take his pity/hush money to do it, so what? He was right. She deserved the best I could possibly do.

"Thank you," I whispered, not trusting myself to say anything else.

He nodded. "Call me when you land and we'll make it happen."

I went back on autopilot after that, heading to the airport. I didn't even tell anyone else what had happened. I probably should have told Ashley. She was basically my mentor, but I couldn't keep talking about this. I sat on the plane and stared blankly out the window, seeing nothing. This was the only time I could allow myself to break. I decided by the time I landed, I needed to get over it. It had been my job for years to take care of my mother and put my own emo bullshit aside. This wasn't any different. She might be dead, but technically, she was still counting on me to tie up any loose ends. I could do this; I just had to breathe.

 _ **CODY**_

When I got to the diner, Randy was sitting in a dark corner and wearing a baseball cap. He kept his head down, not wanting any possible fans who might be lurking to cause a scene. Some wrestling fans are very respectful of boundaries and will go on their way without issue when you're trying to live your non-kayfabe life if you're nice to them... Then there are the _other_ fans. These fans are like ninjas. They hide in the shadows while you walk around, unsuspecting, until they can ambush you at the airport, at your hotel, at a restaurant, or in the bathroom. (Yes, that last one really _does_ happen, and no, it's not appropriate... Especially if you don't wash your hands first.) I'm pretty patient even with the crazier stalker fans because I'm a sucker. Randy never tolerated the stalkers. He'd had enough issues where things got _way_ too creepy, like people trying to harass his daughter Alanna and his ex-wife Sam, that he refused to let the stalkers think their actions were okay. I don't blame him. There are just certain times when it's not okay to demand a famous person sign your arm. (Unless you're a kid in a cast. Even Randy stopped for injured kids.)

 _Time for a secret mission!_ Stardust said with an excited clap of his hands. _Sneak to the table, meet with the man who holds his own cosmic key, and do_ not _be seen! If they see you, all is lost! Oh, but wait! They won't notice_ you _! Cody Rhodes is_ dead _! There is only... Stardust!_

I attempted to ignore Stardust's antics as I sat beside Randy. No one paid much attention to me. (I guess Stardust was right.) "What's up?" I asked him.

"I should ask _you_ that," Randy replied.

"Not much. Same old, same old. I'm stuck in a rut with Creative and they won't listen to my ideas."

"Want me to make a call? Talk some sense into the assholes?"

I laughed. "You really _do_ act like a big brother. No thanks, Randy. I can do this on my own."

"You're miserable."

"I'll be okay. Things will get better."

"Optimism after all these years in WWE... You're a rare find, Cody Rhodes."

We talked for a while about little things. I asked how his new wife and his step-kids were, and how Alanna was doing. He asked about Brandi and Dustin. I pitched a couple of my ideas to him, which he liked. It was a relaxing conversation, and soon enough, I felt better. Even without sharing every thought on my mind, talking to Randy always put things in perspective. He was encouraging without being condescending, and I appreciated that because even Dustin talked down to me sometimes.

We escaped without any fans spotting us. Randy gave me a hug before we split up. "Cody," he said, "if you ever need anything, call me. Just because I'm out with my stupid shoulder injury doesn't mean I won't be there for you."

I nodded. "Thanks," I said, giving him another quick hug. He watched as I got in my rental and drove away.

 _ **LILY**_

I held my head high as I collected my mother's things. I contacted Paul. He had a liason handle arrangements. She planned, then ran details by my. I numbly approved them. They were okay, I guess, and it's not like my mom was going to sit up in her coffin and complain. In life, she'd never been overly fussy. I doubted her death would change that.

One of the nurses gave me an envelope. "She left this for you," she told me.

I took it, not sure what else to do. When I got back to the house, it felt terribly empty. I sighed and curled up in her favorite reading chair, wrapping her favorite blanket around myself as I opened the envelope. It contained a letter. I braced myself, not sure if I could handle reading the last words my mother would ever leave for me.

 _My Dearest Lily,_

 _If you're reading this, then my time has come. I am so sorry for that. I love you, and I will always be alive in your heart._ (There they were again, Mom's wide Arsenal of clichés. I laughed to myself and kept reading.)

 _There is something you need to know, my girl... Something I know I should have told you sooner. Your father was a good man and I kept the truth from you only out of fear of ruining his life by breaking up his family, but that was wrong of me. You deserved to know the truth. I owed you that._

 _My Lily, I am_ so _proud of you, and he would be, too. You're not just living your dream, you are living_ his _dream. That's why I never tried to keep you from the wrestling business. It's in your blood, Baby. You were_ made _to do great things._

 _So be great, my girl, and never give up on your dreams. I love you so much. I hope you can forgive me. Enclosed is the only photo I have of your father and I. I hope this helps you on your journey. I love you more than words._

 _Goodbye, my beautiful Lily, until we meet again._

 _Love,_

 _Mom_

I stared at the letter in shock, reading and rereading it. This envelope contained a truth I'd never expected to learn. My mother, as her last act, was finally giving me the last piece of the puzzle. I opened the envelope again and pulled out the photograph inside.

I stared at it in confusion. My mother was there, beautiful and laughing. The man beside her was laughing, too. The happiness they shared was clear. What confused me was that I _knew_ his face.

It couldn't be true. I flipped the photo over and saw my mother's handwriting. _Me and Virgil,_ it read.

 _Virgil._ But... but _that_ meant...

"Holy shit!" I cursed aloud. "My father... was _Dusty Rhodes_?!"

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! I appreciate your reviews._


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

 _ **LILY**_

I could have reacted to this news in a bunch of different ways. I could have Fangirled or cried or gotten angry. Instead, I reacted with my favorite standby: Sarcasm. "Thanks, Mom," I said aloud, "for letting me know that I'm _actually, fully_ an orphan. That was awesome of you, because, you know, I might have wondered." I laughed. This was insane. There was no _way_ I was Dusty's daughter. For fuck's sake, I'd _known_ the man! He'd mentored me like every other "kid" at NXT and that was amazing, but there was no way in hell he was my dad. I mean, that was nuts! Clearly, Mom's mental faculties hadn't been what they should have been in the end.

I shook my head. It was impossible.

 _So get a DNA test and_ prove _she made it up or hallucinated,_ something told me. My mother had _never_ lied to me. She'd kept things from me, but she hadn't actually _lied_. So either she was nuts, or…

"It's true," I thought aloud. "Or… It _could_ be true, anyway."

Well, this certainly complicated things. What was I supposed to do? My mother was dead, and apparently, so was my father. Did anyone _really_ need to know the truth now? Then again, if he _was_ my father, I had siblings… Siblings I _worked_ with. One of which had rescued me from my nervous breakdown very recently. If this was true, Cody was my _brother_.

I decided I could live with that. I liked Cody. I did _not_ , however, like the idea of possibly ruining his life by telling him his daddy might have cheated on his mommy with my mother, who was a bit of a wrestling groupie… Did that make my mom a ring rat? I hated myself for even having that thought. Mom had understood the business and loved it. She wasn't watching it for the hot guys, she was watching it because she enjoyed the actual _wrestling_. She wasn't a ring rat, but somehow, she'd ended up pregnant with the child of one of the most famous guys in the business...

Then, there was Goldust. The idea of Goldust being my older brother freaked me out a little. His character was… _bizarre_ , and I didn't know the guy in person at all. I'd seen him in passing but I was pretty sure we'd never even spoken. What would happen if I told him that my mother had left a dying declaration that I was his kid sister?

I wished I had a friend I could call or someone I could snuggle, but what I _did_ have was a liquor cabinet I could raid.

"Well, I'm alone, right?" I asked aloud. "So what happened the last time I drank can't happen here. Fuck it. My mom died and left a note blowing my world apart. I think I'm entitled to a drink or seven."

I started pouring myself drinks after that, and lost track of things somewhere along the way. I didn't have to do anything for a few hours, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to sleep by myself in this house knowing she was gone, so I drank until I was exhausted enough to pass out in her chair and I tried to pretend that nothing was wrong with that.

 _ **CODY**_

I woke up still feeling like something was wrong. I worked my ass off in the gym to try and get it out of my system, but I couldn't shake it. Dustin watched me with concern.

"You're pushing yourself too hard," he commented. "Slow down."

"I just… I think I'm losing it, Dus," I admitted. "I feel like something's wrong and my mind won't stop racing, and Stardust won't shut the hell up."

Another person might have questioned that last bit, but my brother was Goldust. He just laughed. "Yeah, that'll happen sometimes," he said as he did. I guess if anyone could understand, it was him. "Just take a deep breath and try to relax, Cody. Everything's okay. It's just your nerves."

Dustin knew I had some anxiety problems as a kid. It still acted up every so often, and I seemed to be in a major flare lately. I was waiting for him to pull out a Xanax, but then I remembered that my brother had been clean and sober for a few years and wasn't carrying around any pills.

"Right… I just need to focus on something else."

He nodded. "Exactly."

 _Right, because it's that simple,_ I thought. Maybe Dustin didn't get it after all.

I threw myself deeper into my workout. I started kickboxing, beating the hell out of the poor, defenseless punching bag and feeling slightly better. I focused entirely on that until Dustin grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

"Cody!" He snapped at me. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I looked at him in confusion. Then I realized my hand hurt. A _lot_. "Ouch…" I said.

"That's an understatement… You could have broken your damn hand, hitting like that!" He was examining it, as if he could sense tiny broken fragments of bone through my flesh. Finally, he let my hand go. "Get that examined. Make sure you didn't do anything serious."

"I'm fine," I insisted.

"Don't even try it. You're getting checked out, Cody."

I had no choice, because he dragged me to the trainers himself. They checked what they could and suggested I get an x-ray, so I did that, too. The results were simple: I'd bruised my hand but there was no serious damage and I could wrestle without an issue.

Part of me was tempted to stick my tongue out at my brother, but I decided that might be slightly childish. Instead, I went back to my room for a bit to try and calm myself down. I was hoping Brandi would be there, but she'd left a note saying she was doing a last-minute photo shoot and she'd see me later. I curled up on our bed and decided to start doodling.

When I looked down afterward, the doodles were dark and depressing. Whatever was going on in my subconscious, it wasn't good. I sighed. Maybe I needed to talk to someone professional. This was starting to worry me. I decided if it kept up, I'd try to get some help. It was better to be safe than sorry. I had my fair share of demons trying to depress me or stress me out, and I knew I couldn't risk it getting out of control.

 _Just don't tell them about_ me _!_ Stardust taunted. _They might lock you away for life! Then I'll be free to take over forever in search of the cosmic key!_

I knew Stardust was just in my head, but that didn't mean these conversations didn't occasionally freak me the hell out. "Yeah," I said aloud. "Professional help might be a good idea."

 _ **LILY**_

The sun rose. I cried my fucking eyes out as the rays woke me up. Now that I was back home, the sun rising and my mother not being here to see it made everything feel so incredibly _wrong_.

I went through the motions because that's what I was supposed to do. The days began blurring together. The wake was the following day, and the day after that was the funeral and burial. To be honest, I remembered nothing afterward. I played my part. I accepted condolences. I listened to my mother's closest friends tell stories about her. The woman Paul had doing all the hard work for me offered to write the eulogy for me. I asked her if she worked for Creative. When she promised me that she didn't, I decided to give her a chance. What she wrote was lovely, but I barely got through the first paragraph before I decided to just talk. If there's one thing I'd learned to do, it was promo. This was just another promo.

I stayed home for one final day before deciding I'd had enough. I had played my part. I had buried my mother, the only parent I'd ever known. Now I needed answers. I needed to know if Virgil Runnels was _really_ my father. I needed to know if Cody and Goldust were my brothers. I needed to know if maybe, just _maybe,_ I still had family out there after all.

The question was, how the hell was I supposed to find that out? A DNA test required a sample from my father or at least someone with his genetics… A sibling.

So, with my mother barely dead and gone, I went in search of the men who may or may not be my siblings. I spotted them sitting in the hotel restaurant after I got back to town.

"Um… Hi," I said awkwardly.

"Lily!" Cody said in surprise. He immediately stood and hugged me. _Your brother is hugging you,_ I thought.

 _But I don't_ have _a brother,_ I thought back. _I'm an only child._

"I heard about your mother… I'm so sorry. I know how hard that sort of loss is," Cody continued.

I stared at him. He _did_ know. He'd loved his father, and here I was, about to ruin his memories of him by telling him the truth… Maybe?

"Cody… We need to talk," I said. This felt like a scab I needed to rip off. I might lose my nerve if I didn't do it right now.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"My mom left me a note… A note that told me who my father was…" _Next, on_ All My Wrestlers, _Lily tells Cody his father cheated on his mother with hers!_ I thought. How had my life become a bad daytime soap opera?

"Um… Wow, that's major! How can I help?" Cody asked.

 _Poor, unsuspecting Cody is about to have his entire world shattered by evil Lily and her terrible news,_ my inner narrator continued. _Let's watch the fun!_

"It's… Um… She said it was…" I sighed. How the fuck was I supposed to tell him this? "She said my father was _your_ father!" I blurted out. There, _that_ did it. Mission accomplished and all that.

He blinked at me in shock. It was Goldust who responded. He stood up and declared, "That's impossible!"

"I… I know it's insane, but my mom had no reason to lie," I insisted.

"You're wrong. She probably wanted you to have a chance at the family money or something."

I was offended. "Dude, I don't _want_ your money," I said quickly. "I just want to know the truth."

"He didn't mean that," Cody insisted.

"I think he did," I said as I looked at Goldust. He was glaring at me like I was the scum of the earth. "This was a mistake. Forget I said anything."

"Lily, wait!" Cody said. He stood and took my arm gently. "Look, if you _are_ a long-lost sibling, Dad would want us to know. He would _never_ want us to turn our backs on you. And if you're not, a DNA test will prove that. Simple. So I don't see why we shouldn't help you with that."

I looked at him. He seemed to genuinely want to help. "Thank you," I said.

"Let's find a place to run the test right now, okay? And whatever happens, it's fine. I'm here for you."

I could tell he meant it. I nodded. "Okay. Let's go get some answers."

Goldust was still glaring. "Come with us," Cody said. "Two samples from half-brothers would be better proof than just me."

Goldust looked like he wanted to refuse, but I could tell Cody's logic made sense to him. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "But only to prove that she's a liar. I won't have her destroying our father's name!"

It was nice to know where I stood with _him_. Anger flashed on Cody's face as he looked at him, but it was gone when he looked at me. "Then it's settled. Let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

 _ **CODY**_

I was living an episode of _Jerry Springer_ or some other trashy talk show. Never in my life had I expected to be sitting around waiting for DNA results, but here I was with my big brother and my possibly younger sister.

Dustin sat glaring at Lily the entire time. I nearly told him his face was going to get stuck like that if he didn't stop. Seriously, Grumpy Cat had _nothing_ on my brother.

We'd had them rush the results. This was easy to do since we were all employed by WWE and would be leaving town shortly. They deemed up Very Important Patients pretty quickly. Within a couple of hours, we were called back into the office.

"So, the results came back," the doctor told us. "There is no doubt here. You all share a father."

Lily looked stunned. I suspect I shared her expression. Dustin, however, was furious. "The results are wrong," he insisted. "I want a second opinion! We'll find another doctor, a specialist in this field-"

"No," I said.

He stared at me with his mouth open. It might have been comical under other circumstances. "Cody, we need proof-"

"No. We _have_ proof. DNA doesn't lie, and ours matches. Dustin, for God's sake, the girl just lost her _mother_. Don't put her through hell when we already know the truth." I looked at Lily. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I mean, sure. Now I know. Thanks, guys... I'll just go," Lily replied.

"You don't have to leave," I said. I thanked the doctor and led my brother... and _sister_ out of the office. "Let's go somewhere to talk."

"So she can make her demands?" Dustin asked.

"No, so she can get to know us, and we can get to know her."

"No thank you."

"Dustin, stop being an asshole. This is our kid sister."

"She never knew him. She's not _really_ his kid, and now she can just go around tainting his memory and trying to steal our money-"

"I have _no_ interest in your money," Lily said firmly. "I just thought we all had a right to know the truth. I'm sorry I inconvenienced you, Dustin. I'll just keep my distance."

"Guys, _stop_. Dad would want us to try," I insisted.

"Dad wouldn't want some gold digger's kid spreading lies about him," Dustin said.

Lily had had enough. She walked away, ignoring me as I called after her. I'd never wanted to hit my brother as much as I did in that moment.

"Dustin! She's our _sister_ and she's only twenty-one. She's practically still a kid. You could at least _try_ to be nice to her instead of assuming the worst," I said.

"She's a legal adult, and I see no reason. She's not my family Cody, _you_ are," Dustin replied.

"The test says otherwise. Why are you being such a jerk about this?"

"Our father was a _good_ man, Cody. A scandal like this could tarnish his legacy. He's not here to defend himself, so that's _our_ job."

I knew my brother had been fighting hard to make our father proud. They'd had a lot of trouble through the years, but they loved each other. He'd taken his death so hard. He'd nearly fallen off the wagon. It had taken a lot to keep him from losing it, and ever since, everything he'd done had been about doing what Dad would have wanted.

"Dus... Dad would have wanted us to be here for his daughter... Our _sister_. He raised us to put family first. It's not a scandal. I'm sure he never knew she was his kid, so it's not like he just abandoned her."

"Think about her _age_ , Cody!" Dustin argued. "He had an affair. He cheated on _your_ mom. Why aren't you more upset?"

"Why am I going to waste time being angry with him when I can't confront him? He's _gone,_ Dustin. Does it suck to know he cheated on my mother? Hell yes, but you know what? Dad was _human_. He made mistakes. Who hasn't?"

"He was a good man-"

"A good man who made some bad choices... Like turning on _you_."

"Don't."

"Dustin, when you left your wife for a _man,_ Dad lost it. He _disowned_ you. It took _years_ for me to convince him he was wrong and that he needed to work things out with you. I didn't understand why he was so angry with you just because of who you loved, and I made sure he knew _I_ wouldn't turn on my big brother no matter what."

"Just stop! That's ancient history. I'm not that guy anymore."

"Dustin, we both know you're gay, and there is _nothing_ wrong with that!"

"Shut up! That was a mistake. I'm with a woman now, like I _should_ be."

"You're faking it because you think that's what he would want. You aren't _happy,_ Dustin. And you _deserve_ to be happy."

"This isn't up for debate. I'm going back to the hotel. Keep that girl away from me, Cody. She's trouble, and I don't want anything to do with her."

He marched off and I sighed. "That went well," I said to myself sarcastically.

 _I thought so, too,_ Stardust said cheerfully in my head as I found myself walking back to the hotel alone.

 _ **LILY**_

That had gone about as bad as possible. Cody might be okay with me, but Goldust apparently hated me. What the hell was I doing? I never knew who my father was. These guys hadn't grown up with me. We weren't _really_ family... We were just related. There was a difference. My mom, my family was dead. I was alone in the world. It was depressing, but at least that meant my only family didn't hate me for no fucking reason.

Dean spotted me as I walked down the hall. "You're back," he said with surprise. "How are you holding up?"

"Lousy," I admitted.

"Talk. If you want, I mean."

"I found something out… My mother left me a note with the identity of my biological father."

"How bad is it?"

"It's not bad, it's just… He's a legend and my new brothers hate me. Or at least, _one_ of them does."

"Who is he?"

"Dusty Rhodes." It was still weird to say it, but now I had proof. I might as well get used to it.

"Wait… You're Dream's daughter? Wow… I mean, seriously, _wow_. That's insane."

"I know."

"So you told Goldust and Cody?"

"Yeah… Cody seems to be trying to deal with it, but Goldust… He hates me. He thinks I'm trying to steal the family fortune or something."

"He's a douche. Forget about him. Focus on Cody. Goldust will come around when he's ready, and if he doesn't, fuck him."

"I need a distraction."

"I have tons of those. What do you want to do?"

"I'm tempted to say get drunk, but… But not _here._ " _Not when he's probably somewhere lurking in this hotel waiting to hurt me again,_ I added silently.

"Knock that shit off, Lily. Trust a guy who's been down that road… Drinking isn't the cure."

"So what else can I do?"

"Come back to my room. We'll watch a bad movie or something… Or I could take you out for karaoke?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Um… Nope, I don't think I'm ready for that just yet."

"Bad movie it is!" He led me back to his room. He'd just gotten settled on the couch with me when someone knocked on his door.

"I'll get rid of them," Dean assured me. He opened it and I heard the _last_ voice I wanted to hear.

"Hey, Dean," Roman said. "Can we talk?"

I listened closer as they talked, praying Dean wouldn't invite Roman into the room. "Bad time, Joe. Is it important?" Dean asked.

"Well… Yeah, kind of… I don't know… I think I fucked up, man."

"You? The almighty perfect chosen one?" Dean teased him.

I felt sick. I hoped I wouldn't throw up on Dean's floor. I felt myself curling into a ball, shrinking smaller and smaller, trying to disappear.

"Shut up. I'm serious. I was drinking the other night and… Well, I hooked up with this girl," Roman said.

 _Hooked up? Is_ that _what he calls it?_ I thought in disgust.

"So? What's the problem?" Dean asked.

"Well, she was kind of young, and very drunk, too… And she sort of… Man, I don't know. She fought me. Like, I mean, she _really_ fought me, cut me with her nails and everything… But I still ended up sleeping with her," Roman said.

Dean's entire body stiffened. "When?" He demanded.

"What?" Roman asked, confused by the sudden change in Dean's attitude.

"Fucking _when_ did this happen?"

"I don't know, man… It was her birthday."

"Son of a bitch… It was _you_!" Dean screamed at him.

And then, to my horror, Dean attacked his best friend in the world. I could hear Roman hitting the wall hard with a startled grunt of pain. I could see Dean twitching and knew he was throwing punch after punch at him.

"Dean! Stop it! _Stop_!" Roman shouted.

"Why? _You_ didn't!" Dean screamed back.

Part of me was freaking the hell out, but a smaller part mentally tipped my hat to Dean for that comment. He was right. Roman hadn't respected the word "no," so why should _he_?

 _Two wrongs don't make a right,_ my mother's voice said in my head.

 _Not now, Mom,_ I thought in response. _This isn't the time for clichés, and if it_ were _, I'd just counter yours with one of_ my _favorites… Karma's a bitch._

"Dean! Dean, get off of him!" A horrified voice cried out. I realized it was Ashley. "What the fuck is going _on_?"

"He's a fucking _rapist_ and I want him _out_ of here!" Dean said. This was loud enough that everyone in the immediate area could hear him. I was just glad he hadn't announced who it was that Roman had raped. I might not want people to know I'd been the victim, but I knew people needed to know what kind of man Roman Reigns really was.

"What?!" Ashley asked in horror.

"You've got it wrong, Dean-" Roman tried to protest. "I was _drunk_! It wasn't _like_ that!"

" _You_ were drunk. _She_ was drunk. Fine. But you know what? She said _no_. She _fought_ you! You told me that _yourself!_ When you kept going in spite of that, it became _rape_ , you fucking asshole! Get the fuck out of here before I fucking _kill_ you!"

"Dean, you're my _brother_!"

"Fuck that! No _brother_ of mine would fucking rape an innocent girl!" He punched him again, and again, I tried to shrink away into his couch and disappear. "She's a fucking _kid,_ Joe! She's barely fucking legal!"

Suddenly, Ashley put it together. And then, I heard what I can only assume was Ashley joining in the beatdown of the man who had raped me. Was this really happening?

I stood up. I couldn't very well let them get arrested for me. I was trembling as I made my way to the doorway. Sure enough, Ashley and Dean were both kicking Roman's ass. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose, and I noticed blood on top of his head as well. Dean wasn't backing down. Ashley was just getting warmed up.

"Stop…" I whispered.

They didn't. That's probably because they didn't hear me. I tried again. "Stop… Guys, _please,_ stop it!"

Ashley was still throwing punches, but at the sight of me, Dean froze. He stood up and looked at me, trembling and terrified, and he walked away from Roman.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Dean said. "Fuck. I am _so_ sorry… I had no idea… I would have killed him… That night, if you'd told me… I _swear_ I would have."

"I know. I believe you," I said.

Roman looked at me. Ashley responded by punching him hard in the right eye. Dean nodded approvingly, but pulled her off of Roman after seeing the desperate look on my face.

"She doesn't want this," Dean told Ashley. " _He_ may not respect what she wants, but _I_ do."

Ashley reluctantly moved away from Roman. He was gasping for breath and spitting blood out of his mouth. He tried to say something, but Dean cut him off.

"No," Dean said. "You don't get to speak to her. You don't get to look at her. You don't get to fucking _think_ about her! Are we fucking _clear,_ Joe?"

Roman's only response was the coughing up of blood. "I'm going to call this bastard an ambulance so we don't get charged with murder," Ashley said. "Though it would totally be worth it. And Joe? If you try to press charges, I will bury your ass. My father has some of the best lawyers in the world. Be glad I let you escape with your life."

Dean led me back inside after Ashley insisted she could stand guard over the severely beaten Roman by herself. "Lily… Fuck. Seriously, I don't even know what to say," he said.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out.

"Why are _you_ apologizing?"

"He's your best friend… And I ruined that. I shouldn't have put you in the middle."

" _You_ didn't. He made his choice, and he did something inexcusable. There's no justification for hurting someone like that, and Joe knows one thing I don't stand for is a rapist."

I looked at him and said, "I guess bad movie night is off?"

"What? Hell no. We need it more now than ever!"

I was surprised. "Really? You still want me here?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I? The cops will be questioning us pretty soon, though, so maybe we should wait till after I know whether or not I'm getting arrested."

"Don't worry about that," Ashley said as she ducked back into the room. "I played the concerned co-worker and he told the cops he got jumped and has no idea who did it. He left your names out of it and told them I found him like that."

"Seriously? How'd you manage to get him to do that?" I asked.

"I told him I'd tell his cousins he's a rapist. I don't think they'd react well to that, and apparently, Joe agrees."

I couldn't believe all of this had just happened. Even more, I was stunned Dean and Ashley weren't in trouble. "I hope he fucking rots," Dean mumbled.

"Thank you guys," I finally said after a minute. "But, you know, you didn't have to do that."

"He deserved it," Ashley said.

"He deserved w _orse_ ," Dean added. "I can't believe I ever trusted him."

I think Ashley noticed I was uncomfortable, because the next thing she did was ask, "So, what are you guys up to?"

"Bad movie night," Dean said. "Starting with _Terror of Tiny Town,_ this western from the 1930s starring an entire cast of Hornswoggle-sized people on a set built for full-sized-people."

"You're _kidding,_ " Ashley said. To my surprise, she added, "I _love_ that movie! It's so awful, I couldn't stop laughing!"

Dean looked at me before saying, "I guess one more participant would be okay."

"Yay! Bad movies are awesome. I have a ton of them on my Netflix account. We'll definitely have to log in and check some of them out. You guys, this is going to be fun!"

Surprisingly, I believed her. I suspected that Ashley and Dean had never even considered hanging out before, but somehow, here we all were, brought together by pain, suffering, violence, and apparently midgets in a saloon. This was turning out to be an interesting night, and to my relief, neither of them mentioned what had happened with Roman again.

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I am so sorry I've taken this long to update! I've been busy and I have several other fics going right now, too. I'm going to try to update this one more often. I hope you guys are enjoying the story, and I appreciate your reviews. By the way,_ Terror of Tiny Town _is apparently a real thing. I found it on_ Rotten Tomatoes _on a list of movies so bad they're kind of good. I take no credit for the name or plot, but it seemed like something that would appeal to Dean's mildly psychotic mind._


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

 _ **CODY**_

I was so distracted by all of the drama with Dustin, I'd entirely forgotten to tell my wife that she now had a sister-in-law. When Brandi came back to our room that night, she watched me in confusion as I got lost in thought trying to figure out a way to make Lily feel welcome in the family.

"Cody? Everything okay?" Brandi asked me.

"I need to find something for Lily… Something big," I said, expecting her to know what I was talking about.

"Lily from NXT? Yeah, I heard about her mom. It's so sad… They were really close."

"Yeah… I need to get her something of Dad's…"

Brandi blinked at me. "Isn't that going above and beyond?" She asked.

"Not for family."

"Wait… Huh?"

"Oh! Shit… A lot happened today, honey," I said. "You should sit down."

Brandi sat down obediently, still looking confused. "What do you mean, 'for family'?" She finally asked.

"Okay, so, Lily's mom left her a dying declaration telling her who her father was… And it was _my_ father. She told me and Dustin earlier, and Dustin didn't believe her. I didn't know what to think, so we got a DNA test… And it's true, Brandi. Lily's our little sister."

Brandi's eyes were wide as she took in what I was saying. "You're sure?" She asked.

"Yeah. It's insane, I know… But it's true."

"So… Your dad…? While he was with your mom?"

"Yeah… I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to tell my mother about this, but yeah…"

"Cody… I'm so sorry. I know this must be a shock."

"It's okay. I like Lily, actually. She's awesome. She was one of Dad's favorites… Crazy, right? I wonder if he sensed the truth?"

"Maybe… Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just frustrated. Dustin's being a total dick about this. He won't even give her a chance. He just assumes she's trying to claim her inheritance and he let her know as much."

"That's awful…"

"That's what I told him. I hate being mad at him, but how can I _not_ be?"

"I'm sure it's just the shock."

"I hope so. Otherwise, I'm going to need to slap him… Anyway, I want to give Lily something to make her feel welcome, but I have no idea what."

"You need to see your mom in person to tell her this, right? Maybe you can raid the attic and find something for Lily."

"That's a great idea! We're not that far away. If they aren't using me tomorrow, maybe I can drive home and go see her."

"I'll come with you. Jojo is working tomorrow so I know I'm free."

"Great. It's settled." I kissed her, feeling a little bit better. Brandi generally has that effect on me. I'm a very lucky man.

 _ **-THE NEXT DAY—**_

I have to admit, going to see my mother was more intimidating than I'd expected it to be. How could I tell her this? My dad had cheated on her and had a kid because of it. Was she just supposed to be okay with that?

 _You'll tarnish his memory for her,_ a voice warned me. It wasn't Stardust. It was Dustin. In the back of my head, I knew that's exactly what he'd be telling me. I couldn't let it matter. She had a right to know the truth, even if it hurt…

 _Even if_ you _hurt her,_ Stardust taunted me. _Good! Hurt her, Worthless Cody! Hurt her and enjoy her pain!_

 _Shut up,_ I thought. _Your opinion is neither needed nor wanted._

I tried to ignore Stardust after that. Mom sat at the table reading when I let myself into the house. Her face lit up when she saw me and Brandi.

"Cody! Brandi! What a wonderful surprise!" She greeted us.

I let her hug us before saying, "Mom, I have to talk to you."

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"It's… I found something out yesterday… About Dad."

She looked confused. "What is it, Baby?"

"Dad… He… um…" How could I do this to her? I looked to Brandi for support.

"Cody was talking to someone from NXT," Brandi supplied for me. "She had some unexpected information to share."

"Spit it out. I can handle it," Mom promised.

"Dad… Has another kid," I finally said.

My mother turned serious. Then, she hugged me. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry you had to find out like that!" She said.

"What?" I asked. "You _knew?_ "

"Not about the child, no," she told me quickly. "But I did know he was unfaithful. He admitted it to me."

"I… You… _Really?_ " I was stunned. How had this happened without me having any clue?

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to think poorly of your father. He was away from me so often… It just sort of happened. It was hard, but we worked through it." She looked into my eyes. "I loved your father very much, Cody, and that love was worth fighting for. Don't ever doubt that."

I nodded, numb. This was certainly news to me. While I knew Dad wasn't perfect, and the idea that he'd cheated on my mother wasn't entirely unexpected, I certainly hadn't expected my mother to know and be so calm about it!

"Who is the child?" She finally asked, since I remained silent. "How old are they?"

"Her name is Lily, and she just turned twenty-one," I said, trying to think through my shock. "She was one of his favorite wrestlers down at NXT. She's been traveling with the main roster. She just found out about this, and Dustin and I had a DNA test run."

"I wonder why the truth came out now…"

"Her mother passed away a few days ago."

I expected my mother to get angry at the mention of the woman Dad had cheated on her with, but instead, her face filled with sympathy. "Oh, that poor girl! To lose her mother and to find out her father's gone as well… Is she alright?"

"She's tough. I think she'll be fine, but Dustin's giving her a hard time."

"Dustin does that. He'll come around. He used to hate _you_ , too," she said with a slight smile. "He got over it when he realized you weren't going away."

"I want to make her feel welcome, Mom… I'd like to give her something of Dad's, so she can have a piece of him. Is that okay with you?"

She smiled kindly at me. "Oh, Cody, of course it is! She's his child, too. Go ahead."

And so, Brandi and I began our search of the attic. It was strange seeing my childhood boxed up there. I sifted through box after box of comic books, magazines, toys, and clothes before finding some of my father's stuff. As I was going through it, I found an entire box of his old ring gear.

"This!" I proclaimed suddenly. "She should have one of his old outfits. A real piece of his wrestling legacy!"

Brandi smiled. "I think that's a great idea," she said. She helped me pick one out and I carried it downstairs with me.

"Is it okay if we give her this?" I asked my mother.

She looked close to tears like she usually did when something involving my father came up. She nodded. "I think she'll love it. Good choice, sweetheart."

A little while later, after Mom insisted on feeding us, we headed back to our hotel. Lily wasn't in her room, so I decided I'd wait until the next day to find her and give her the gear.

 _I hope you approve of this, Dad,_ I thought. I half-expected Stardust to say something awful to me, but he was blessedly quiet this time. I took that as a good sign.

 _ **LILY**_

Movie night had been awesome. Ultimately, after the fifth bad movie, Ashley left Dean and I alone. I intended to just go back to my room and relax, but I passed out on his couch before I could leave. When I woke up, I was in his bed, tucked under the covers, and he was sleeping where I had been.

I got off the bed and wrapped his blanket around him. Then I went into the bathroom and quietly made myself look presentable. I was about to sneak out when I realized he was looking sort of twitchy on the couch. I gently shook him awake.

Dean's eyes looked wild and haunted for a moment before he seemed to register it was me. His breathing was rapid as he said, "Oh… Um… Thanks."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a fucked up dream. I have those a lot."

I nodded. "I get that. What was it about?"

"Midgets," he said seriously. Then he added, "They were trying to lasso me and force me to ride tiny ponies with them." A crooked grin crossed his face. "It was _awful_!"

I laughed. He was obviously kidding, but that was okay. He had a right to keep his dreams to himself. "Bad movies will do that to you. Can I help?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"You've been taking care of me. I don't mind returning the favor."

He smiled. "Fine. Bring me something caffeinated. That'll help."

I nodded. "I can do that." I made him some instant coffee and brought it to him. He chugged it in a ridiculously short amount of time. "Wow," I said.

"I can't have fucked up nightmares if I'm awake," he explained to me.

"True enough."

"What are you doing today?"

"No idea… But I should probably head back to my room. We slept really late."

He glanced at the time. "Huh. I guess we did. Movie marathons will cause that sometimes."

"Thanks for last night. Again."

"It was fun."

"Yeah… It was… And also, thanks for… You know… What happened with… with _him_." I didn't want to say his name.

Dean looked haunted again. "No problem, Lily. Really. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

I nodded. Then, curiosity got the best of me. "You're freaked out," I said. "Because of him?"

He hesitated, then apparently decided to answer me. "That's part of it. What Joe did to you… It's unforgivable. The fact that he used to be someone I trusted really upsets me… I mean, there aren't a lot of people I trust, you know? But I can't let this go."

"You didn't let him tell his side. Why not?"

"His side is irrelevant. There's no excuse for what he did to you, even if he _was_ drunk."

"You feel really strongly about this."

"Yes. I do." He didn't elaborate, and something told me I shouldn't push him. Whatever was going on in his head, he wanted it to stay private.

"Sorry if I pushed too much," I said quickly.

"It's fine…" He paused. "You don't _have_ to leave, you know."

"You have a taping to get ready for."

"You're welcome to stay here. My room's safe. No one will bug you."

I was touched by the fact that he still seemed so intent on protecting me, but I could take care of myself, and it was time I remembered that. "I appreciate it, but I'm good. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow."

I walked out and headed back toward my room. I couldn't stop wondering what Dean had really been dreaming about. It clearly hadn't been angry midgets, but whatever it was had shaken him up in a way I'd never seen before. I hoped I wasn't responsible for his nightmares. What if they were about everything with Roman? What if the stress he was under because he'd taken my side against his best friend was coming out in his dreams?

I was so lost in thought, I nearly fell over Becky Lynch's luggage as she walked by me in the hallway. "Watch yerself, Lass!" Becky said to me kindly. "Are ya alright?"

"Yeah… Sorry, Becky," I replied.

"No matter… I heard about yer Ma. I'm real sorry ta hear it. I remember how close ya were ta her."

"Yeah… Yeah, it sucks."

"Ya know, if ya e'er need to ta talk, I'm an excellent listener. I'll buy tha liquor!"

That was tempting. Drinking alone was dangerous, but if I was out with another female and she watched my back, nothing bad could happen to me, right?

"Are you busy tonight?" I asked.

"I'm na' on tha card, so no," she replied. "Does that mean yer takin' me up on my offer?"

"I think so. As long as we're away from everyone… I can't deal with the rest of the roster."

"Not a problem. I'm Irish, Lass! If _I_ can't find us a pub, I dare say, it d'na exist!"

I smiled. Things were looking up. She studied me. "Ya might want ta change, Lass. I've got tha perfect thing…" She led me into her room. I let her pick out an outfit for me because I had no idea what plans she had for tonight and I wasn't sure what I should be wearing anyway. She pulled out a brown corset with a dark green jacket to wear over it. I'd never worn a corset before in my life, but Becky had an absolutely awesome steampunk wardrobe and she was handing me the key to that treasure. How could I refuse? I figured the jacket would make me feel covered up enough. Becky found me a long, flowing green skirt that matched the rest of the outfit. She began doing my hair, braiding it and placing Steampunk goggles on my head.

"Perfect!" She declared at the end. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and hardly recognized myself. The outfit looked like I could be in the futuristic remake of _Terror of Tiny Town,_ but in a good way. I actually loved the way it looked, even if I'd never imagined myself wearing something like this. "Ya were born for Steampunk, Lass," Becky informed me.

She got herself dressed in a similar outfit, but hers had cargo pants instead of a skirt. "We look hot," I admitted after she was ready.

"Well, o'cour' we do, Lass!" She laughed. "I d'na play around when it comes ta Steampunk. We'll slay tonight fer sure!"

I believed her. We headed to a bar that seemed to be a Steampunk hangout. I was relieved. Becky had made good on her word. No one from WWE was likely to stumble into this place because they weren't into this scene. I started to relax. It felt good to be in a fun setting without having to worry about my own personal monster coming after me.

Let me tell you, Becky Lynch can drink! She tossed back shot after shot and was still stone sober. I was amazed. I drank a bit more cautiously, but after a few shots of my own, I started to get buzzed.

"Just do me a favor?" I asked Becky.

"Anything, Lass," Becky replied.

"Don't leave me alone. Don't let any guys get too close to me, and don't let me out of your sight until I'm either sober or at least somewhere safe."

Becky looked concerned. She finally nodded. "Well, o'cour' I won't leave ya, Lass! I'm here _for_ ya, remember? No worries. I'll be sure ta keep any _Unwanteds_ far away from ya!"

I felt better after that, and I drank some more because I was pretty sure I was safe for the night. I continued drinking until I forgot why I'd started, and ultimately, I forgot _everything_. I lost time.

The next thing I remember, I was back in my hotel room, kneeling beside the toilet. Becky was petting my hair and whispering soothing words to me along the lines of, "That's it, Lass… Better out than in… Get it all up now…"

Eventually, I stopped throwing up. That was when I finally registered the headache. I groaned. Becky handed me some aspirin and stayed with me for a while before finally leaving me to sleep. Thankfully, it was dreamless.

I don't know how long I was blacked out for, but when I woke up, I felt better. My head still hurt, but I didn't feel sick to my stomach and I knew the alcohol had left my system. Knocking caught my attention and I groaned. That made my head hurt more. I stood up and cautiously opened the door.

"Hey," Cody said as he stood on the other side with a bag in his hands. "Can I come in?"

I nodded, letting him in. I was terrified of being alone with most guys on the roster right now, but Cody was apparently my brother, and I didn't see him trying to violate me any time soon. "What's up?" I asked.

"I brought you something," he said. He handed me the bag.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Open it up and see."

I did as he said. I was stunned as I realized what I was holding. "Oh my God… Cody, is this…?"

"His ring gear." Cody smiled at me and it lit up his entire face. "I thought you might want to have a piece of our father for yourself. You deserve that much."

I don't know if it was the gift, the reason he gave it to me, or the fact that he'd just said _our father_ so casually and with absolute acceptance, but I started crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

I nodded, too overcome to speak for a moment. Finally, I said, "Thank you… God, Cody, thank you _so much_ for this! Are you sure this is okay?"

He smiled again. "Yeah, I'm sure. I think he'd want you to have it."

"Really?" I was still crying. I couldn't seem to stop.

"Absolutely." Then, Cody surprised me again. He hugged me. I stiffened for a split second, but there was something so comforting about Cody that I relaxed almost immediately. It was strange to realize my older brother was comforting me, but that's exactly what was happening.

"You don't know how much this means to me," I said. "I meant it when I said I wasn't after anything from you guys."

"I know." He squeezed my shoulder. "But just because you don't want any of it doesn't mean you shouldn't have it. You're his kid, too, Lily. This is yours as much as it is ours."

I was pretty sure Dustin wouldn't agree, but I refused to ruin the moment. Instead, I hugged him again.

"Thank you," I repeated.

"You're family, Lily. I'm fine with that if you are," he said.

I nodded. "I think I can learn to accept it."

"Good. So we'll get to know each other a little bit at a time, alright?"

"That sounds good."

He looked really happy as he said, "You know, I'm excited to have a little sister."

"Really?"

"I… Well, _we_ really… We have two older sisters, but you're the baby girl. It sucked for me being the baby, especially when my big brother wasn't always too happy I existed." He grinned at me. "You're not alone in that, either. Dustin will get over himself eventually… He really _is_ a good guy."

I nodded. "Yeah, it sucks to be on Goldust's shit list."

"Goldust probably _loves_ you. It's _Dustin_ who's being stupid."

"I'll have to remember there's a difference if he ever decides to acknowledge me."

"He will. I know our brother. He'll come around."

I was still stunned at how casually Cody was accepting me as part of the family. I gave him another hug. "Want to go out for breakfast?" I asked. Suddenly, I really wanted to keep hanging out with him.

He laughed. "It's after one in the afternoon, but sure, Lily."

I blushed. "Okay, maybe lunch, then. Give me a couple of minutes to get ready and we can get to know each other a little bit more."

He smiled. "I'd love that." He waited patiently for me to get ready, and then we headed out together. It was strange knowing I was going to have breakfast with my long-lost brother, but I was warming up to the idea. I'd always been a fan of Cody's and I liked him as a person, too. Now, I was going to get to see what he was like as a member of my family. I hadn't even realized I had older sisters, too, but what I did know was that at least one of my brothers hated me. It was nice to know the other one genuinely wanted to get to know me. The least I could do was return the favor.


End file.
